How to do Kendal Calling with Kids
The main stage at Kendal Calling
Can you do Kendal Calling with the Kids?
Yes. Yes, you absolutely CAN and you can read this to find out why you absolutely should.
I am here to give you the ultimate guide to doing Kendal Calling with the Kids. All of our top tips, our experiences and our lessons learned to help you do Kendal Calling with the family!
This was the kids’ first ever PROPER festival.
This was MY first ever PROPER festival.
Sure, we have done kids weekend festivals before, day festivals, gigs etc. but this one was a biggie. I’ll admit we were a little apprehensive, but I’m always game for a challenge and this one… well why don’t you read on to find out?!
Watching The Enemy… the inflatables falling from inside the tent were LOVED by the kids
So it turns out the rumours aren’t true…
I had heard from more than one person AFTER we’d booked the tickets that Kendal Calling was definitely not one to take the kids to.
Turns out (thankfully) that they were wrong!
Yes. The kids had an absolute belter of a time. For SURE if you are not prepared to explain how sometimes adults don’t act like adults when they are having a good time…. then you probably should steer clear from festivals altogether. Yes, you will see some of the usual expected festival shenanigans. But in all honesty this did not affect our experience at all. So….
Let’s start with the camping bit…
The absolute VIEWS from the family campsite. Mountains! LOOK MOUNTAINS!
Our Camping Experience at Kendal Calling
Camping. We decided to camp for the full weekend, despite the forecast (which was absolutely bloomin’ dreadful) You can buy day tickets, but we wanted to do this properly, so there were absolutely no half measures! In for a penny and all that…
There is a family field, where you can pitch up (no set pitches obviously) and you can expect a more family vibe here.
We arrived on the Friday lunchtime (the campsite was open from Thursday) and we found a decent pitch with a cracking view. It is totally a free for all, so you play your own luck. You can head there early and may get a better pitch, but to be honest, I was happy with where we ended up and we had one less day without a shower!
Check out the FAQ bit for more tips about the campsite and facilities.
It is true… Kendall Calling is actually at Lowther which is closer to Penrith than Kendal
Top Tips for Camping at Kendal Calling
Ok… Here is what I thought from our weekend. Firstly, what we did….
Let’s talk showers…
We did not pay for showers. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH that’s my own self saying that I did not shower for 3 days (FOR SHAME!) But hear me out…..
To shower it costs an extra £35 per person for the weekend.
Listening now? I’ll bet.
Let me just say, a collapsible washing up basin, a flannel and some shower cream will work wonders! Actually, it did. Because it was so muddy, it meant we could wash legs off, brush your teeth without walking to the troughs and wash your hands too, where the only other option is hand sanitiser. So yeah. Collapsible washing up tubs are top of my list.
Festival mud is REAL!
Tell us about the toilets …
Obviously festival toilets can get a little …. ahem…. questionable during the process of the weekend. But I was super impressed that these toilets were thoroughly power cleaned and sorted on a daily basis. That included the rubbish too.
(By the end of each day…. well, let’s just say it was a poo related conversation that Ez LOVED!)
They provided both chemical and compost toilets, along with troughs for running cold water for washing up and for brushing teeth.
I thoroughly recommend taking your own toilet roll and hand sanitiser so when they inevitably run out, you have a stash. I put them in a clear pencil case so they don’t get soggy in the rain! (That’s a REYT mum hack, right there!)
Family site… really? Was it noisy?
Nope. It was quiet. Shock horror, but it was! I did use my earplugs (which I normally don’t bother taking camping) but that’s only because I’ve done my time when it comes to early morning toddler wake ups!!! I’ll appreciate the lie ins when they come and a late night dancing away to Kasabian is an EXCELLENT way to tire the kids out!
I do love a table that reminds you where you are
But tell me about car parks… said nobody ever…
Ok. I AM going to talk car parks. Because there are decisions to be made here. DECISIONS PEOPLE!
You can arrive at Kendal Calling on Thursday night. The main event runs from Friday, but there are events taking place from the Thursday, which alleviates the parking and traffic sitch. It does cost extra to arrive on Thursday.
If you leave it until Friday lunchtime, then you will have a huge walk from the car park to the campsite with your kit. And people, I’m not sure if you know but the Lake District has HILLS! Yes, you guys know we are all about the hiking up hills, but with a car load of camping equipment… PHEW!
It is a massive walk. Even the experienced festival veteran (my husband) said it was one of the longest he’s done at a festival.
We clocked up over 10 miles there and back (including the walk to the festival site) it was long and it was tiring. Factor in the wait for the security checks and you could start off your weekend in a bad mood and that’s not fun for ANYBODY!
But don’t worry! We made mistakes so YOU don’t have to…..
One of the amazing art installations you can find around the festival site
The Friday or Thursday toss up…. What would you do?
On the other hand…. when we were leaving on the Monday morning, we had NO wait to get out. Whereas the queues for the early birds looked BRUTAL.
So what a quandary right? Do you sacrifice the walk or the wait? That’s up to you, but from our experience, we would go for the walk.
In hindsight…
We’d arrive earlier on the Friday and maybe shave off a little bit of the walk. I hate waiting to get out of a place where everybody is tired, muddy and just wants to get to the nearest Mcdonalds, so I’d take walk over wait anyday.
Absolutely ESSENTIAL kit for those who choose to take the hike? A good camping trolley. I have one at home. I did not bring it and now I live a life full of regret. For the record, a flimsy cheap one won’t hack the ride at all. It was like a Lidl graveyard en route to the campsite and that makes me sad for those camping trollies who tried their best but just didn’t make it….
The programme for Kendal Calling
Enough! Tell us about Kendal Calling already!
Ok. I appreciate I got side-tracked by toilets, tents and trolleys….
We’re here for the actual Festival right?!
First tip. Take empty water bottles for the kids and keep topping them up from the drinking water. The drinks cost a bloody fortune (I deffo didn’t bring a Robinsons fruit squeezer in to make the drinking water taste more…. fun … because that’s not allowed…so yeah… definitely don’t do that… )
Next tip…. Get yourself a programme. Yes, it costs extra (all things do) but it’s really handy, plus there’s your souvenir for the kids. Get them involved in choosing a band (with some stiff guidance from the grown ups of course) and happy days!
So are you ready to find out what 2023 had to offer for the kids? YEAH!
See? There’s even a whole kid friendly zone!
The Kids Calling area…
This was an absolute hit with my two. They are 7 & 9 and they spent a decent chunk of time throughout the weekend in the Kids Calling area.
What was on offer in 2023?
Inflatable slides and obstacle courses, an epically well run silent disco that had the grown ups singing along to Livin’ on a Prayer at the top of their lungs, whilst the kids were dancing along to a bit of George Ezra, and a junk craft area.
Yes, it doesn’t sound like there is masses to do, but it helps pass the time early on in the day when there is less of a buzz around the main stage.
I’d say this is mainly aimed towards the younger age group, the older kids might enjoy the inflatables and the silent disco, but thankfully there is more going on than just this… which leads me on to….
The Pinkturehouse cinema screen
Fancy a film?
This one we didn’t actually go to, but on a rainy weekend (which we had) I can see that this might be a decent hit with the older kids and teens.
They had a wide range of films on and the ratings of the films generally increased as the day went on, but there were definitely some in the more family friendly bracket early on. I mean, I’m not talking Peppa Pig here (thank God) but a decent addition on the ‘Stuff for the younger ones to do’ front.
One of the fairground rides at Kendal Calling
Kendal Calling has a fair but be prepared…
It’s freakin’ expensive.
Totally expected, but not great if you have younger kids where the adults have to accompany the kids on the rides. I mean… I did, but not because I had to…. it was because I bloomin love a Waltzer!
Anyways… It’s inevitable that the kids will see and want. In 2023, they were £7/ person. We rationed to one ride per day. We’d expected it as a cost and kept that in mind on the spend front.
Watching the kids comedy show
Check out the acts that are aimed at the kids…
For yes, there are some!
Can’t take credit for this, this was a spot from the family we were with at the festival and it was ace! A whole hour of kids comedy, which I’ll admit was great for the adults too!
This is another reason why grabbing yourself a programme is a great idea, so you don’t miss out on little gems like this!
Because for every little gem like this you find, you get bought BONUS moan free time at the main stage!
Seeing Gaia at Kendal Calling 2023
Explore at Kendal Calling
Yes, there’s a fair, there are kid focussed activities, and there’s a cinema…. but there is so much else that’s going on at the festival site, that you won’t be bored.
See the picture above? That’s Gaia, part of a huge tour of the artwork of Luke Jerram. Just there. Hanging around in the trees (literally!)
It’s just scratching the surface of all that there is to offer here. The kids were fascinated by the Lost Eden area, and as a lover of all things quirky, this was a super cool part of the festival, offering something that was not mainstream, was thoroughly engaging and just the ticket if you needed to escape to the woods.
I always love to escape to the woods.
One of the fantastically quirky areas of the Lost Eden zone. I didn’t write down the name, but we came loads of times!
The main stage at Kendal Calling…
Yes. It’s the main event. It may be chucking it down with rain, but it’s most of the reason why we all come to festivals right?….
The Main Stage.
I’m keeping this short. It’s exactly what you’d expect. Mosh pit at the front, busy for the headliners and where you want to be. For kids, we headed to the top of the hill where the kids got a better view. There is a natural amphitheatre and it was ace.
Shame the weather couldn’t have sorted itself out, but never mind!
The things we would always bring….
Here we go…. quick fire lists and FAQs about Kendal Calling…
Right. Who wants a list of stuff we absolutely would not be without through out the full 3 nights of camping? Here we go….
Our Top 10 essentials to bring and do…
Empty Water Bottles (and a Robinsons Squeezer… SHHHH! Who mentioned the squeezer? There was no squeezer…) You are not actually allowed to bring in liquids. So……………………………. But you can get drinking water across the site, so really this is an absolute must!
A collapsible washing basin. Anything that packs small will work. With kids, it really is a must for me. Hands. Sticky, sticky hands.
Pacmat picnic blankets. They are BY FAR the best picnic blankets we own and they wash like a dream, so mud is not a problem. They pack down into a tiny bag, fit inside a handbag or rucksack and they are instant places for the kids to sit.
Toilet Roll and Hand San. ‘Nuff said.
Card Games. Either a pack of cards or Dobble, Uno or the like. Something you can shove in a bag. That beats the boredom between bands.
Flannels. For mud, on the go and the washing bowl wash!
Snacks. You can take snacks in and the food costs a bloomin fortune, so take snacks!
Trolley. Take a trolley for the trip to the campsite. We like to pack light, but some do like to take them to the festival site too. Once when he was very little, Ez used to nap in one, so with small kids, they can work as something like a bit like a bed on wheels!
Listen to the Kendal Calling official playlist on Spotify! Get the kids to know the bands or songs! it really helps to get them on board with the whole band vibe. They will get so much more out of it, if they know and can sing along to the bands they are listening to!
Wellies. Or Sliders ( Dependant on how lucky you are with the weather) at the campsite to make toilet trips easier. They are a long walk, so plan ahead, or for younger kids, might be worth taking a travel potty.
Inside the Kids Calling area…
Frequently Asked Questions about Kendal Calling
Here are a few of the questions we had before heading to Kendal Calling.
What do I need to camp?
We overpacked (ok… I overpacked) we took the tent and awning and our minimal camping stuff. It was too much and with the uphill walk from the car, you want to make 1 maybe 2 trips from the car, tops. Next time, we would ditch the awning, take only breakfast and snacks, along with a kettle, burner and coffee (just me. I can’t leave the house without 2 coffees in me!) We would still take the air beds and bedding but that’s it really. Fairy lights can help you be identified from the 100 billion other tents that are the same but yeah. Pare down your kit and make your life easy by creating ways to bring lots of stuff from the car.
For that, a camping trolley or two and big rucksacks should work a treat.
What are the facilities like at the family campsite?
Chemical and compost toilets were on offer with little queue time required. There was also cold running water and troughs for washing up and hand wash etc.
There was one central hub for this, so if you arrive later in the weekend, it’s likely you’ll have a hefty walk to them.
There are showers but these were located on the main campsite and costed an additional £35 per person for the weekend. We opted out!
How far is the festival site from the campsite
Not far. It’s actually a super compact festival site when you get there. Everything is within easy walking distance. We had a very wet weekend (did I mention that?!) and in places the site was extremely muddy, however overall, the mud factor wasn’t too bad.
The ‘Create’ area of Kendal Calling
What about food?
This is totally subjective. When we go to a festival, we like to BE at a festival. We don’t tend to wander back to the tent in the middle of the day for food (although there were plenty who did). Food isn’t cheap, as is expected, and if you choose to eat every meal inside the site, then the costs will rack up.
We took plenty of snacks, we made sure we had a big breakfast at the tent and we budgeted for expensive meals.
In terms of the range of food that was on offer, we were pretty impressed. There was plenty to choose from and we didn’t eat the same meal twice (well Ez did, but he’s a sucker for a burger!)
Is there food at the family campsite?
Yes. There was a food outlet at the campsite that served breakfasts, coffees and pizzas. The queues were pretty hefty, so we didn’t end up going and opted to cater ourselves.
What were they like with food allergies?
My kids have food allergies.
And there is no festival policy for allergies that we could see. BUT, we found that the independent food businesses we visited during the weekend were actually very good with them. We took a stash of food with us in case we weren’t able to deal effectively on site, but we didn’t need it.
That said, for those who have severe allergies and for coeliac sufferers, I’d contact in advance to be sure.
We’re like a band right? An actual…… Ok rubbish band…….
How big is the festival site?
Pretty compact actually. It did not take much walking from one end to the other.
Will I have to queue?
Actually, not really. Apart from the queue into the campsite for the security checks, there was no significant queue times that we experienced at all. We chose not to buy showers, but the queue for these did look excessively long.
Queues for toilets between acts were mega long, but you can easily avoid that.
Is there cover in bad weather?
Yes. But these did get very VERY busy. Because we had terrible weather! So my tip is check the forecast and perhaps take any bad weather into account when you’re planning which bands to see. We had an ace time watching The Enemy from the middle of a super dry tent when the heavens opened outside!
It’s the Lake District it rains.
That is all. It does and so take waterproofs and wellies and be prepared to get wet.
What’s the internet like?
Well again …. it’s the Lake District, so let’s have a think…
There is little to no reception across the site. There are free Wifi hubs, but you do have to be within a short radius of these to work, so yeah. No internet really.
Is Kendal Calling bad for ‘bad behaviour?’
I’m a parent, I hung at the back, we headed back to the campsite at 10.30/11pm. There was very little to report folks.
Sure, there was the usual expected ‘merryness’, but given the reputation I’d been told about before we went. No. I saw none of it.
When are the headliners on?
Roughly, 9.30pm.
Will the kids get there?
Who on earth knows! On the Friday night, the kids stayed up for the full headline gig. The second, they flagged and on my favourite band night we had to call it an early one (not bitter… not bitter at all….) On the last night, it was the same. So be prepared to not see all the acts. OR plan a tactical nap! I don’t think we’d do anything different, but that’s just festivals with kids isn’t it?!
Just some of the independant acts that are on at Kendal Calling
Is Kendal Calling on your list then?
What do you reckon?
Would you head to Kendal Calling? We had an ace time, and are headed back next year!
I think that probably says it all right?!
Are you looking for more information about family friendly festivals?
Colette over on Going on an Adventure Blog has a couple of really useful blogs about them!
So if you like this…. check out
